a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

This NOT Just In–Odds and Ends

A few weeks back, I talked about trying to recapture the same enthusiasm I had going into the season last year–when I believed that such a deep roster –> deep into the Playoffs–but I can’t seem to. The reason being that the man who came in when we were in the middle of a 12-game win streak and proceeded to wreck the rest of the season is still around, and his only motivation this year will be making himself look good.

Pro-Boozer fans out there (all two to three of you KFAN employees and Boozer family members) will and are saying that he’ll play harder and be more motivated to stay healthy and whatnot because he’s playing for his next contract. But, and this is a big but, his one and only consideration this year will be his own stats, regardless, and at the same time, not a single thought about team or winning the game will run through his betrayal skull. I mean, on July 1st and in Miami and Chicago, we saw just how self-involved and selfish this individual can be. YES HE CAN.

So anyway, my point in all this, which was likely lost as I ranted, is that Sap needs to start. By now, all the cards are on the table and he is the Jazz’s PF for the forseeable future (“forseeable future” here is defined as “somewhat shorter than Karl’s career”). Now, just because FB prickedly opted in doesn’t mean that the Jazz should stunt Sap’s growth and development as a basketball player by continuing to use him as a backup. The Jazz should be doing everything it can to hasten Sap’s growth by having him play against other teams’ first teams, and FB should be an afterthought. If Jerry can throw max player AK into the second team for a “spark,” he damn well can throw Boozer into the second team (where his defensive deficiences wouldn’t be so blindingly apparent, and, in all honesty, he would probably be a huge spark) as well.

Uncurrent Odds and Ends:

1. Fes was benched by the Ukranian national team and subsequently left the team. I’m going to go not very far out on a limb and say that summer is not his best season. Has he landed in Utah yet?

2. KK2 is doing somewhat better with the Greek national team.

It’s hard to get a hold of box scores for pre-Eurobasket friendly matches (at least it is if you don’t look very hard), but it seems that he-who-all-hope-is-pinned-on is doing all right scoring and boarding in Europe. He has even been described as a “power in the paint” and mentioned for his “tough defense” in the excruciatingly short game recaps over at Eurobasket.

3. So it turns out that all of my speculation about Yeliz being pregnant wasn’t wrong, just slightly premature. Memo’s website says that the Okurs are expecting a baby in February. Hopefully (fingers crossed) Memo’s game won’t be hit as hard the second time around…

5.Empty the Bench is grading NBA logos. It hasn’t gotten to Utah yet, but I think it’s safe to say that the Jazz’s current logo is serviceable but a little boring, and its best logo was the music note (image from sportslogos.net).

Meanwhile, I just have to say that as time go on, a logo that I always made fun of as a kid has, no exaggeration, become one of the most awesome logos in NBA history. The Nuggets’ rainbow logo is so ridiculous that the needle on the meter went around twice and sent it into ridiculously awesome territory.

And do you know that it gets even better? There were shoes that went with the uniforms. It doesn’t get any more sweet(ly nostalgic) than this.

I would totally be in the market for this Mutombo jersey, if someone would tell me where I can find one…